


Battle Injury

by RPGwrites



Series: Cousland's Tale [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Angst, F/M, Whump, hurt/ comfort, internal bleeding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:53:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28134237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RPGwrites/pseuds/RPGwrites
Summary: After getting injured Elissa feels better after Wynne worked on her injuries. But as further as they go she feels worse and worse. Her stomach is the problem but she must just imagine things. It's nothing it's just a bruise.
Relationships: Alistair/Female Cousland (Dragon Age)
Series: Cousland's Tale [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843270
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	Battle Injury

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by [CoryFireLion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoryFireLion) Prompt: Internal bleeding. This is part of the bad things happening prompts. 
> 
> Many thanks to [ soldiermom1973](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soldiermom1973/pseuds/soldiermom1973) for betaing.

At first, when the woman with the wagon came Elissa didn’t think much of it. She only thought that perhaps the woman’s story was plausible. A broken wagon wasn’t hard to believe but when the woman stopped at the men and smiled she knew something was wrong. 

Elissa saw their blades and bows and got her blades out. She fought fast. It didn’t take long until a blade sunk into her back. She cried out from the pain. Each movement hurt but with a red healing potion, she was trying hard to be on her way again. 

Her muscles hurt more and more with each foe she defeated. Her heart rate was faster. Everything smelled like sweat and blood. Her wound didn’t help. The potion helped but she knew it wouldn’t be enough. Her back protested at every motion she swang her daggers every step she took. But she ignored them all. 

Someone hit her. She couldn't see who or what they hit her with, but her stomach  protested. It felt like a large object that fell on her. She saw stars and she had to blink her eyes a couple of times to clear her vision. And her limbs didn’t want to work together. It wasn’t long until the battle was over with. 

“Elissa!” Alistair yelled. “We have a live one.”

She nodded as if Alistair could see her from such a far distance. Everything got blurrier but she shook it off. She forced her limbs to work even if they didn’t want to. “Check injuries first.”

Wynne immediately made her way to her but she shook her head. “Others first.”

“Warden,” the old woman protested, “You are bleeding, let me take a look at that. Let’s go somewhere to check out that wound.”

Elissa nodded but she knew that wouldn’t work on her. She learned her lesson by now. Sten was walking not far from them and she called out to him. “Sten guard our prisoner.”

The only answer she got from him was a grunt. But by now she talked Sten as well. 

Wynne and Elissa walked to a nearby river, with the mage’s help she got her armor off. It was hard. Her back and stomach protested hard. Elissa struggled to get out of her armor but soon she was out. Her muscles ached at uncomfortable angles. On her stomach she saw a very large bruise forming. It hurt but it was no way worrying. Wynne studied it and told her to keep an eye on it. 

She didn’t know what Wynne exactly did but she cast a healing spell and soon put something on her back. It was cool and soon she could feel the magic healing her. 

Her world didn’t spin as widely as it did before. Something she was grateful for.

With Wynne's help she got back into her armor and soon they were heading out. 

It felt better but her muscles still ached. The things she felt more was her stomach. With every second step she took she grunted. Her back felt better but no where her stomach. 

“What do you want with him?” Alistair asked her. He had dirty blond hair and a tattoo across his face. 

“Wake him,” Elissa ordered, “Let’s see if he’s feeling chatty.” She needed to make sure what he knew and what in the void he wanted with them. 

“Hmm,” the traitor said as he woke up. “What? I...oh? I rather thought I would wake up dead,” he confessed. Elissa raised an eyebrow in response. “Or not wake up at all, as the case may be. But I see you haven’t killed me yet.”

The conversation went as well as it could’ve gone. Elissa asked questions and Zevran was more than happy to answer. Too happy if anyone asked her. No one should be this excited to answer these questions. 

It turned out to be Loghain hiring the Crows of all people for her head and her fellow warden. She asked him all the questions she could think about and when she was done she decided to recruit him. 

Alistair had his worry about him and she couldn’t blame him. Zevran could easily betray her. 

While walking back to camp Alistair walked closer to her. She recognized what he wanted to do. “Are you sure about this?” he whispered. “Hiring an assassin?”

“Well, we can use him to our advantage,” Elissa whispered back. “I don’t trust him either but we could use Logain’s plans against him.”

Elissa understood where Alistair was coming from but she hoped in return he would trust her that she made the right decision. 

They had a sweet banter mostly between Alistair and Wynne. Wynne gave life tips and Elissa smiled as she realized just again how good the two were. They were all good for each other. Elissa just hoped she wouldn’t regret letting Zevran join the team. 

They just arrived at their camp after dark. Morrigan was already preparing stew and her trusty dog Sam was waving his tale welcoming her. 

“Hey boy,” Elissa crouched down but instantly regretted it. Wynne was at her side immediately with Alistair not so far off. 

“Are you alright warden?”

“Yes,” Elissa said as she got slowly up. It felt like someone hit her stomach with a hammer. “My muscles are just hurt from the long day.”

All that she wanted to do was soak her sore body in a warm tub but here that wasn’t an option. They had things to do. Battles to have fought. Taking hot baths was another life. 

After supper the rest went to their tents and Elissa and Alistair stayed up. As her face scrunched up in pain Alistair looked concerned. 

“What’s wrong?”

Elissa held her stomach. It especially hurt and Alistair was spinning but she couldn’t say why. 

She shook her head and she couldn’t say if it was because of Alistair or tried to shook her dizziness away. “Just still hurt. Wynne gave me something to help me sleep.”

Alistair nodded but she could see his heart wasn’t in it. “You should go to bed.”

She nodded as she tried to stand up but it hurt a lot. More than it should have. She groaned in the process. This time she wasn’t sure if it was her back or her stomach but something didn’t feel right. 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” The concern was in between his frowns. Alistair was worried. But Elissa would be okay. It was just a hard day. 

“Yes, I’ll drink Wynne’s potion and I’ll be all good tomorrow again.”

But the truth was not even she believed her own words. Something hurt too much and she decided to check her stomach as best as she could in the tent. 

Alistair helped her by her tent and he bid her goodnight. Slowly Elissa moved to remove her armor. After removing her chest piece she couldn’t see her stomach properly but she could’ve sworn it was burning up. 

_ What in the void could she have done? _

This couldn’t have been a battle injury.

Sweat was forming from her brows and she convinced herself she was just imagining things. Wynne treated all of her injuries. Perhaps her body just had enough and was giving up on her. 

When she was out of her armor she breathed rapidly.

“Warden?” a voice whispered. A voice that could only belong to Leliana since they shared a tent. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she answered with a painful grunt. “Just tired.”

“Perhaps I should call Wynne.”

But Elissa grabbed Leliana’s hand. “Don’t… I’ll be fine in the morning.”

Usually Elissa would enjoy stargazing but not tonight. It was too painful and she had no idea why. She fell on her sleeping bag being exhausted.

“Alright,” the other woman finally said, “Get some rest.”

Elissa sat up as she forgot to drink the potion. Just then she decided to drink a healing potion with Wynne’s potion for pain. 

This was fine. All Elissa Cousland needed was some sleep. 

* * *

Drifting in and out of consciousness Elissa was aware of how sleep wanted to take her but something stopped it from not taking it fully. Perhaps it was the pain. 

Her sleeping bad woke her up everytime she turned. Every time she kicked it off. No matter what she just couldn’t rest. 

And that wasn’t all. 

Her pain got worse and worse she felt like someone pressed with all their weight and wouldn’t come off. Breathing became harder and harder. As if her own body was betraying her and killing her from the inside out. 

She just hoped Leliana wouldn’t be awakened thanks to this. 

Elissa needed rest. But rest wouldn’t come.

* * *

“Ah. That smell,” Zevran said as he got out of his tent. “Who’s cooking this fine morning?”

Alistair only raised his eyebrow, not impressed at all. Afterwards he continued cooking. 

“Not the chatty type. I take it.”

Oh Alistair could be the chatty type if he wanted to be, he was just not interested in someone who wanted them all dead. His eyes went to Leliana and Elissa’s tent. This was so much unlike her. She should be up by now. Perhaps-

A flap of a tent interrupted his thoughts. His heart sank when he saw it was Leliana not Elissa. He frowned instead. 

“Leliana,” Alistar would have usually greeted but he wasn’t interested this morning. Something was wrong. “Is Elissa still asleep?”

“Yes.” Everything on Leliana’s face told him she shared his worriedness. “I think we should leave her be. The warden hasn’t slept well.Something is wrong.”

But that caused Alistair to be more concerned. “Should we tell Wynne?”

“Tell me what?” Wynne flapped the door of her tent. 

Leliana and Alistair shared a look. He had no idea what the redhead thought they should do but all he cared about was Elissa’s safety. “Something is wrong. She grunted and now she’s sleeping at this hour.”

Wynne hummed. “I’m sure it’s nothing to be concerned about, she has some injuries of course. Just let her sleep for awhile.”

So that’s what he did. When the food was ready Alistair got a plate of food for their fellow warden. She should eat afterall. 

“Elissa.” His voice spoke her name softly. Making sure to wake her up easily. But all he heard was her soft groans and moans. “Wake up. You need to eat something.”

“Alistair,” she weakly breathed. Her eyes shot open when she saw how high the sun in the air was. “We should-'' but she cried as something must have been hurt. 

He was no healer but it wasn’t normal for her injuries to cause her so much pain. But he also knew he should have faith in Wynne. 

“It’s alright. We’ll leave shortly.”

At that she only gave a weak smile. 

* * *

It took Elissa a long time to get ready. Putting on her armor was torture and the bruise on her stomach just looked worse.

But that was all it was. It was a bruise. 

Coming out of her tent was a struggle of her own. She almost fell down but Elissa Cousland was too stubborn to do that. 

Elissa looked down at her plate of food. It looked delicious but the sight of it made her sick. She tried to eat but could barely eat anything. 

"Are you alright?" Alistair asked. His eyes narrowed at the sight of her. 

Elissa knew she couldn't lie herself out of this one. Even she knew she looked terrible. "Didn't sleep well."

Alistair only nodded and they were on their way to Denerim. 

* * *

Elissa only felt worse and worse as time went on. Her vision was blurry. She could see less and less. Having to walk straight was the hardest thing to do. 

The party had a lively banter but Elissa heard none of it. Focusing took all of her attention. If that could even be called focusing.

Alistair's weary looks said it all: He was worried. 

At noon Elissa knew it wasn't her imagination anymore. Something was definitely wrong. The only question was what. 

But she wouldn't complain. Quietly she promised herself. She would only say something is wrong when asked. Not before. But it felt like a lifetime before the healer asked. 

"How are you feeling?" Wynne asked. Even she was concerned. 

"Something is wrong, " she finally said. It took everything out of her to say that. 

Wynne only nodded, having the same conclusion than she had. "I suspect as much. You should have been better by now. We should check at night."

But the truth was Elissa wasn't sure if she would survive that long. Something was draining the little energy she had and she didn't know how long of it she could take any longer. 

So Elissa held on until she couldn't any more. 

"Elissa?" Someone called but she was so out of it she had no idea who it was. 

All she saw was darkness. The last she heard was people calling her name. 

* * *

Alistair was worried. 

He never ran as fast to get to Elissa's side when she collapsed. This all proved something. Something was very wrong with their leader. 

Quickly Wynne looked. Getting her out of her armor took some time. But it didn't feel fast enough. Her wound looked fine. Still healing but very good considering it happened the day before. The truth was Wynne had no idea what happened. 

"What's wrong with her?" He demanded. He knew anyone could hear the worringness but he didn't give a damn. 

"I don't know." The woman shook her head. "We'll need to make camp and I can take a proper look." 

Alistair was the one that carried her. Even though she was unconscious she moaned and groaned at every turn. And Alsitair had to wonder if she could still feel the pain. Each time he was consumed by thoughts of her dying. 

The camp felt like hours away but he knew it was his mind playing tricks on him. Fears that he got when Elissa was injured and Morrigan and her mother treated her came back. 

_ What if she's dying? _

_ What if we never find the cause?  _

His worrying never stopped. And his eyes couldn't believe it when they finally found a spot for them to camp. 

He sat her down carefully just as her eyes fluttered open. "What's going on?" There was a deep frown on her features as she tried to get familiar with her surroundings. 

"It's okay." He only hoped it would be enough to assure her. "Are you in pain?"

She nodded with her eyes closed. Not long after that a painful groan escaped her mouth. "I'm tired."

"Wynne will find out what's wrong." Alistair didn't believe his own words but he needed Elissa to believe them. 

But after that she was unconscious again.

Quickly the rest helped to get a tent ready for her and they got a cot ready. That way it will make things easier for Wynne. 

He only hoped Elissa would be okay. 

* * *

Alistair waited and waited. The sun started to set and the fire was burning but he didn't lift a finger. He stayed at her side until he was thrown out. Luckily the party understood.

Supper was soon being prepared but still Wynne didn't go out of the tent. 

So Alistair sat and sat until the tent flapped open. 

"How is she?" Alistair jumped to his feet quickly. 

"She's bleeding internally." Wynne was tired. He didn't need to look at her for that. "But she'll be alright."

"Internally?"

"Yes from an injury. Took a blow to her stomach"

"From his men?" Alistair showed with his eyes to Zevran. 

"Alistair don't do anything rash."

But he was already up. He was breathing fire. He knew this was partly his fault. He shouldn’t have let him join. He should’ve seen this ambush. 

The thing is Alistair needed to do something. Yet this was not like him at all. 

* * *

Alistair didn't know what he was going to do but his feet were taking him to the assassin. "Our leader is hurt and it's all your fault!"

It's been a while since he got that mad but he was beyond himself. 

"Now. Now. I was on a job."

"You-"

"Alistair, " a soft hand was touching his shoulder and his muscles relaxed. "That was before he joined us."

He squeezed his eyes shut. "I know. I just-" His shoulders hanged. 

"Let's check in with her."

With Leliana they got to the tent. But she still looked as weak and frail as she once looked. She was still not alright. 

Tonight would be a long night. 

* * *

All night Alistair sat beside Elissa's cot. His eyes opened each time she moved or made any noises. But no improvement was made. All he heard was her moans. 

But when the sun rose so did Elissa. "Alistair?" She was confused not being sure what was going on. 

"It's alright. How are you feeling?"

"It hurts but not as much as it did." A frown creased her forehead as she gave her surroundings a better look. "Did Wynne find out what's wrong?"

"Internal bleeding."

Elissa only nodded her understanding. "I might rest more."

"The team is already out. They're checking in on Denerim."

"Good." She gave another nod. "Thank you for always having my back."

"Always." 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come and say hi on [ Tumblr ](https://rpgwrites.tumblr.com/).


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